Background:

This hearing will focus on the growing threat of invasive species on federal lands and the impacts on users of federal lands as well as adjoining state and private lands. Invasive species can negatively impact the health of federal lands, such as reducing the productivity of grazing allotments and increasing the risk of wildfire. Furthermore, in areas such as the West, where the federal government is the majority landowner, outbreaks of invasive species on federal lands can infest neighboring lands despite best efforts to manage for such. Witnesses will discuss these impacts, as well as their observations on how federal funds can be spent more efficiently and how federal agencies can better coordinate with state and local efforts to control and eradicate invasive species.